U.S. Department of 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Transportation GENERAL COUNSEL Washington, DC 20590

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

[49 CFR §§ 37.9, 37.41-37.43, 38.125] June 16, 2015

1. Question:

What is the minimum width needed for a non-level boarding railroad passenger station platform to meet 

the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

Answer:

Under 49 CFR Part 37, all new or altered railroad station platforms, including non-level boarding 

platforms, used for intercity rail passenger service or commuter rail passenger service must be readily 

accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, including persons who use mobility aids like 

wheelchairs or walkers. 49 CFR 37.9, 37.41-37.43, 37.55. We have received questions from entities 

constructing or altering platforms regarding the minimum platform width needed to accommodate 

passengers using such mobility aid devices. This Q&A may be used as guidance for the minimum width 

needed for non-level boarding platforms.

Where non-level boarding platforms exist, on-board lifts may be used to move passengers who cannot 

climb stairs from the platform level up to the passenger car. 49 CFR 37.165(g). The actual design of 

the platform lift mechanism varies from one builder to another, but it is not uncommon for the passenger 

car edge of the lift platform in the fully deployed position to be a number of inches away from the actual 

side of the passenger car body. An allowance of 1 foot from the side of the passenger car to the edge of 

the lift platform has been made to accommodate various lifting mechanism designs.1The lifting 

platform cannot be more than 3 inches above the platform in the down position with a connecting ramp 

slope not exceeding 1:8 (49 CFR 38.95(b)(8), 38.125(b)(8)), which could result in a ramp to the lift 

platform being a maximum of 24 inches long. Per section 304.3 of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines 

(ADAAG), a space of at least 5 feet is required on the platform for a person using a wheelchair to turn 

and enter the on-board lift.

For a new or altered conventional non-level boarding side passenger platform with a railing or wall on 

the platform side opposite the track, the minimum platform width thus should be the sum of the 

maximum dimensions listed above – 12 feet.

 

1

In addition, the maximum length of the lifting platform could be as much as 54 inches on new cars built to the Next 

Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee, i.e., the “Section 305 committee,” specifications for certain intercity and 

high-speed railcars and 48 inches per the current regulations (49 CFR §§ 38.95(b)(6) and 38.125(b)(6)), which presumes end 

loading of the lift.
2

For a non-level boarding end loading island passenger platform (where passengers are entering or 

exiting the platforms of a stub-end station) located between two tracks, our calculation needs to account 

for the width of tactile strips. The additional width of the tactile strips (2 feet) required by 49 CFR

37.9(a) (applying ADAAG 705.2 and 810.5.2) for the next track should be added to the above 

dimension, which yields a total minimum width of 14 feet for an end loading island platform.

For a non-level boarding island passenger platform with vertical pedestrian access (by elevator, stairs, 

escalator, etc.), the minimum width should be the width of the vertical access feature (typically in the 

range of 8-12 feet) plus twice the 6 feet required by 49 CFR 37.42 for clearances around the sides of the 

stairwell, yielding 20-24 feet. The non-level boarding platform may be tapered to 14 feet at the end(s) 

of the platform.

2. Question:

What is the minimum width needed for a level boarding railroad passenger station platform to meet the 

accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

Answer:

Under 49 CFR Part 37, all new or altered railroad station platforms, including non-level boarding 

platforms, used for intercity rail passenger service or commuter rail passenger service must be readily 

accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, including persons who use mobility aids like 

wheelchairs or walkers. 49 CFR 37.9, 37.41-37.43, 37.55. We have received questions from entities 

constructing or altering platforms as to the minimum platform width needed to accommodate passengers 

using such mobility aid devices. This Q&A may be used as guidance for the minimum width needed for 

level boarding platforms.

A level boarding intercity or commuter railroad passenger station platform can have a gap between the 

passenger car door threshold and the edge of the platform that is at the maximum horizontal dimension 

of 10 inches on tangent track and 13 inches on curves and a maximum vertical dimension of 5.5 inches. 

49 CFR 37.42(f). At level boarding platforms, where the gap exceeds plus or minus 5/8 inch vertical or 

3 inches horizontal (49 CFR 37.42(f)), a bridge plate is typically used to allow a passenger using a 

wheelchair or other mobility device to move from the platform to the passenger car. While they can 

vary in dimensions, a typical bridge plate is approximately 3 feet long. Per ADAAG 304.3, a space of at 

least 5 feet is required on the platform for a passenger using a wheelchair to make a turn to enter the

bridge plate and onto the passenger car.

For a conventional level boarding side passenger platform with a railing or a wall on the platform side 

opposite the track, the minimum platform width should be the sum of the maximum dimensions listed 

above – i.e., 8 feet.

For an end loading island passenger platform (where passengers are entering or exiting the platforms of 

a stub-end station) located between two tracks, our calculation needs to account for the width of tactile 

strips. The additional width of the tactile strips (2 feet) required by 49 CFR 37.9(a) (applying ADAAG 

705.2 and 810.5.2) for the next track should be added to the above dimension, which yields a total 

minimum width of 10 feet for an end loading level boarding island platform.
3

For a level boarding island passenger platform with vertical pedestrian access (by elevator, stairs, 

escalators, etc.), the minimum width should be the width of the vertical access facility (typically in the 

range of 8-12 feet) plus twice the 6 feet required by 49 CFR 37.42(e)(1) for clearances around the sides 

of the stairwell, yielding 20-24 feet. The level boarding island with vertical pedestrian access platform 

may be tapered to 10 feet at the end(s) of the platform, as long as the gap between the car and the 

platform through the curved portion complies with 49 CFR 37.42(f), which defines the maximum 

allowable gap at level boarding platforms to be 10 inches on tangent and 13 inches on curved tracks.

Circumstances may arise where a 15-inch high passenger platform designed to provide level boarding to 

typical bi-level passenger cars is also used by conventional single level passenger cars, which typically 

have 51-inch car door heights. In this case, the 3 feet allocated for a bridge plate should be replaced by 

either the 5 feet used by an on-board lift or 4 feet used by a platform mounted lift. Thus, a 15-inch high 

platform used by single level passenger cars should be treated as if it were a non-level boarding 

platform.

Table 1. Summary of Minimum Platform Width Guidance

Minimum Width Conventional 

Platform

End Loading Island 

Platform

Island Platform with Vertical 

Access

Level Boarding 8 feet 10 feet Width of vertical access feature plus 

6 feet on each side. May taper to a 

minimum of 10 feet at the ends so 

long as the platform gap is 

maintained.

Other than Level 

Boarding

12 feet 14 feet Width of vertical access feature plus 

6 feet on each side. May taper to 

minimum of 14 feet at the ends.

Note: A 15-inch platform used with 51-inch equipment is treated as “other than level boarding.”

The General Counsel of the Department of Transportation has reviewed this document and 

approved it as consistent with the language and intent of 49 CFR Parts 27, 37, and 38.